Apparently Chinese officials are worried about other “religions” besides the Falun Gong as the Beijing Olympics approaches. According to this April 19 article on the World Net Daily , a bookstore owner has been re-arrested and detained after being cleared of allegations of publishing Bibles and Christian literature.
Shi Weiban was released January 4 after being arrested November 28 during police raids at his home and office. He legally operated a bookstore located near the Olympic Village, and sold only books approved by the government. He was again detained on March 19 and has been held without any communication with his family, which includes a wife, Zhang Jing, and two children. An Asia Times Online report said Shi and his Holy Spirit Trading Company were accused, again, of printing Bibles and Christian literature without government permission.
Chinese Christians report a shortage of Bibles and other Christian resources, but the China Christian Council claims that Amity Press, the only legal publisher of Bibles in China, is producing enough Bibles to meet the demand, according to a Compass Direct News article . While the Council says the total number of Protestant believers in China is 16 million, a survey performed by the East China Normal University (published in February 20070 reported that China had 40 million Protestants.
According to the Compass article, Shi’s arrest appears to be part of a crackdown on religious groups that the government fears could raise dissident voices during Olympic Games. The U.S. State Department’s 2007 International Religious Freedom Report notes that Chinese authorities interrogated house church leaders about the possibility of disrupting the Games.
Shi Weiban was released January 4 after being arrested November 28 during police raids at his home and office. He legally operated a bookstore located near the Olympic Village, and sold only books approved by the government. He was again detained on March 19 and has been held without any communication with his family, which includes a wife, Zhang Jing, and two children. An Asia Times Online report said Shi and his Holy Spirit Trading Company were accused, again, of printing Bibles and Christian literature without government permission.
Chinese Christians report a shortage of Bibles and other Christian resources, but the China Christian Council claims that Amity Press, the only legal publisher of Bibles in China, is producing enough Bibles to meet the demand, according to a Compass Direct News article . While the Council says the total number of Protestant believers in China is 16 million, a survey performed by the East China Normal University (published in February 20070 reported that China had 40 million Protestants.
According to the Compass article, Shi’s arrest appears to be part of a crackdown on religious groups that the government fears could raise dissident voices during Olympic Games. The U.S. State Department’s 2007 International Religious Freedom Report notes that Chinese authorities interrogated house church leaders about the possibility of disrupting the Games.
2 comments:
I think it's so interesting that China officially recognizes Christianity (although Roman Catholicism isn't allowed, just Chinese Catholicism controlled by the state), yet they arrest bible sellers. I had read an article in February that supports what you are saying. It said that bibles were banned until the '70s but now can be purchased in official churches but not ordinary bookshops. It seems to me it shouldn't make a difference where the bibles are sold, so I wonder if this is an odd way to control the growth or influence of Christianity or if Chinese bibles are different somehow. Then again, it could be strictly economic. The article said that Amity Press employes more than 600 people. I guess the government doesn't want entrepreneurs to cut into those sales.
I'm not surprised that the Chinese government would crack down on the distribution of Bibles, since the religion they allow is state-controlled, and God forbid (no pun or disrespect intended!) anyone should read the Bible for himself!This is nothing more than censorship by the Chinese government, which has a history of banning books not in line with Communist ideology. That would definately include the Bible.
Susan
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